Prince Charles leads mourning after shock death of goddaughter

Prince Charles' goddaughter, and well-known British socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has been found dead in her London flat, aged 45.

The former "it" girl was good friends with the royal family and attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011.

Soon after her death, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall released a statement saying they are "deeply saddened" and that their "thoughts are so much with the family".

Palmer-Tomkinson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January last year, after she went to the doctors complaining of fatigue.

Palmer-Tomkinson attended the royal wedding in 2011 (image: Getty)

They discovered a non-malignant growth on her pituitary gland which was affecting the production of the hormone prolactin.

Palmer-Tomkinson went public with her brain tumour diagnosis just three months ago.

A police statement said Palmer-Tomkinson's death is being treated as unexplained, but not as suspicious.

Police outside Palmer-Tonkinson's London home (Image: Getty)

"Police were called by London Ambulance Service at approximately 13:40hrs on Wednesday, 8 February to an address in Bramham Gardens.

"Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. The Coroner has been informed," the statement said.

Palmer-Tomkinson was known for her hard-partying antics in the 1990s, and as a reality television star more recently. On a number of occasions, she spoke publicly about suffering from a cocaine addiction which - at its worst - was costing her $650 (£450) a day.